Oxidative stability and fatty acid profile of Refined Echium (Echium plantagineum) Oil

Abstract

The refined Echium oil could be a new option of vegetable oil to be added in manufacture products, that’s contents not only alpha-linolenic (ALA) ω3 fatty acid but also the stearidonic (SDA) ω3 fatty acid. However, this highly unsaturated fatty acids profile could lead to a limited shelf life due to lipid oxidation. In this context, this research aimed to analyze the oxidative stability (peroxide index and Rancimat method) and fatty acid profile of Refined Echium oil. The value of peroxide index found (0.242 meq/kg) was lower than that established by Brazilian legislation (less than 10 meq/kg) and the accelerated oxidation through Rancimat (8.79 hours) showed high value. The oil presented high value of total PUFAS (65%) containing, approximately, 40% of ω3 (28% of ALA and 12% of SDA). The results indicated that this Refined Echium Oil have a good stability oxidative and a great lipid profile, so a good alternative oil.